Reviewer:
dupar
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favoritefavorite -
March 5, 2023
Subject:
Re: Lorre
No, not in this film; however the confusion is not hard to understand since his first major role was in a 1932 film of the same title directed by the ill-fated Kurt Gerron. It was made in both French and German and also starred Hans Albers. It is not available with English subtitles, to my knowledge. As to your comment on transitional sound this not unique to this film or to Germany; from 1927-28 at least half of all American films were made with synchronized sound - music and sound effects - but no dialogue. Even THE JAZZ SINGER only had one five-minute talking segment; the first true all-talking U.S. film was THE LIGHTS OF NEW YORK, released in mid-1928. Europe reached this phase in 1930, as exemplified by the Louise Brooks classic PRIX DE BEAUTE. The Lorre film is actually called THE WHITE DEMON come to think of it. It's about cocaine.